Author Salman Rushdie appeared publicly for the first time since being assaulted at a literary event last year. He received an award at the Václav Havel Center in New York on Wednesday night.

This is one of the few occasions when Rushdie has made a public appearance since being hospitalized. His unexpected presence was kept secret until the event, due to safety concerns. The New York Police Department was present outside the venue.

“I regret being an anonymous guest,” stated Rushdie, as he made an appearance at the yearly “Living in Truth” event, dressed in a black button-up shirt and matching suit. “I do not perceive myself as enigmatic. It just added some ease to my life.”

The audience rose to their feet in applause for him.

Rushdie has authored over twelve books, one of which was The Satanic Verses in 1988. This novel was prohibited in Iran for being offensive to religion, and the country’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa for his execution, leading the writer to go into hiding.

In August 2022, 33 years after the fatwa was issued, author Rushdie, 75, was severely harmed while getting ready to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York. He spent six weeks in the hospital and suffered multiple injuries, including loss of vision in his right eye and the use of one hand.

Hadi Matar, the individual charged with stabbing him, is scheduled to go to trial on January 8th.

Salman Rushdie was present at the Bohemian National Hall on the Upper East Side to receive the inaugural lifetime disturbing the peace award. The award was presented by Azar Nafisi, the writer of Reading Lolita in Tehran. Approximately 150 attendees, including journalists, diplomats, and artists, were present at the event.

Rushdie shared his thoughts on his connection with Václav Havel, the former president of the Czech Republic who was being celebrated at the event. He praised Havel for his unique ability to balance being both an artist and an activist, a feat that is often challenging to achieve.

When I encountered him in Prague, I asked, “Are you still capable of writing?” He responded, “No, I can only compose speeches.” Although he felt remorseful about it, I believe it was a compromise he was willing to make.

According to a statement released by the Václav Havel Center, the recipient of the award embodies all of its values and principles.

“His unwavering support for the right to express oneself is evident not only in his literary works, but also in the strong positions he advocates for in his sharp critiques and personal writings.”

During a speech in Frankfurt last month, Rushdie, upon receiving the peace prize from the German book trade, expressed his surprise at the current state of affairs. He stated that this was not the world he expected to be living in.

“Currently, there is a rise in censorship and animosity towards educational institutions and libraries.”

During his appearance in New York, Rushdie mentioned a previous occurrence.

“Three weeks prior, I was honored with the peace prize, yet now I am being given a disconcerting peace prize. One of these statements is certainly accurate, though I am uncertain which one.”

The event also recognized Alaa Abd El-Fattah, an Egyptian political thinker and blogger, by presenting him with the award for disturbing the peace in recognition of his bravery as a writer at great personal risk. His aunt Ahdaf Soueif accepted the award on his behalf, having made the trip to New York specifically for this purpose. Fattah continues to be held in custody in Egypt under conditions that have been deemed inhumane by the Václav Havel Center.

Rewording: The author Soueif is highly praised and was a finalist for the Booker prize in 1999 for her book, The Map of Love.

On stage, she mentioned that we do go see Alaa, who is now permitted to have family visits once a month for a duration of 20 minutes.

“We have informed him about the recognition and he is extremely appreciative. It is crucial that individuals in prison are not overlooked.”

Leslie Stahl, a journalist for CBS, received recognition for her coverage of foreign policy on a national television platform.

Source: theguardian.com